Student Life - Student Health

jewish student health Moses Maimonides (Rambam) once wrote: "By keeping the body in health and vigor one walks in the ways of Adonai. It is a person’s duty to avoid whatever is harmful to the body and cultivate habits conducive to health and vigor."

Rockwern Academy adheres to this philosophy, and we have kept this in mind while establishing policies regarding emergencies, illnesses and medication administration.

Medical Records

The State of Ohio requires that all children K-8 have received the recommended immunizations. The school must receive proof of immunization within two weeks of the child’s matriculation. The State of Ohio also requires that all Pre-school students have the recommended immunizations, health history and physical exam upon entering the program. The physical exam must be updated every year on the anniversary of the first exam through age five. Failure to comply with these laws will result in school suspension until the requirements are met.

It is necessary for parents to fully disclose students’ medical conditions and treatments in order to provide the safest environment for them. Even if medications are administered outside of the school setting, the possibility of side effects, allergic reactions or drug interactions in an emergency situation makes full disclosure necessary. A health history must be completed on admission to school. This information needs to be updated on the Emergency Authorization form yearly. If a change occurs during the school year, it needs to be reflected on the Emergency Medical Authorization form in the nurse’s office.

Illness

Children coming to school in the morning are assumed to be well. If a child feels sick during the day and is unable to continue in classroom activities, his/her teacher will give him/her a pass to see the nurse. The nurse will conduct an assessment, and appropriate measures will be taken. The following guidelines represent the more common childhood illnesses and the usual recommendations of the Hamilton County Health Department.

Chicken Pox: A skin rash consisting of small blisters, which leave scabs. A slight fever may or may not be present. There may be blisters and scabs present at the same time. Your child should remain home until all blisters have scabbed over, usually 5-7 days after the appearance of the first crop of blisters.

Common Cold: Irritated throat, watery discharge from the nose and eyes, sneezing, chilliness, and general body discomfort. Your child should remain home if symptoms are serious enough to interfere with your child’s ability to learn. Medical care should be obtained if symptoms persist beyond 7-10 days or fever develops.

Fever: If your child’s temperature is 100 degrees F or greater (or 1 or 2 degrees above the child’s normal temperature), he/she should remain home until he/she has been without fever for a full 24 hours. Remember, fever is a symptom indicating the presence of an illness.

Flu: Abrupt onset of fever, chills, headache and sore muscles. Runny nose, sore throat, and cough are common. Your child should remain home from school until symptoms are gone and is without fever for 24 hours.

Head Lice: Lice are small grayish-tan, wingless insects that lay eggs called nits. Nits are firmly attached to the hair shafts, close to the scalp. Nits are much easier to see and detect than lice. They are small white specks which are usually found at the nape of the neck and behind the ears. Following lice infestation, your child may return to school after receiving treatment with a pediculocide shampoo, AND AFTER ALL NITS HAVE BEEN REMOVED.

Impetigo: Blister-like lesions which later develop into crusted pus-like sores. Your child should remain home from school until he/she has received antibiotic therapy for 24 hours and sores are no longer draining.

Pain: If your child complains, or behavior indicates, that he/she is experiencing persistent pain, he/she should be evaluated by a physician before being sent to school.

Pinkeye: Redness and swelling of the membranes of the eye with burning or itching matter coming from one or both eyes or crusts on the eyelids. Your child should remain home from school until he/she has received 24 hours of antibiotic therapy and discharge from the eyes has stopped. Spread of infection can be minimized by keeping the hands away from the face, using good hand washing practice, using individual washcloths and towels, and NOT touching any part of the eyes with the tip of the medication applicator while administrating the antibiotic ointment.

Ringworm: Scalp: Scaly patches of temporary baldness, with brittle infected hairs which break easily. Skin: flat, ring-like rash, inflamed, may itch or burn. Feet: scaling and cracking of skin especially between toes, blisters filled with watery fluid may be present. Children who have scalp or skin lesions must be kept home until 24 hours of antibiotic treatment has been completed.

Skin Rashes: Skin rashes of unknown origin should be evaluated by a physician before your child is sent to school.

Strep Throat and Scarlet Fever: Strep throat begins with fever, sore and red throat, pus spots on the back of the throat, tender swollen glands of the neck. With scarlet fever there are all the symptoms of strep throat, as well as a strawberry appearance to the tongue and rash of the skin. High fever, nausea and vomiting may also occur. Your child should remain home from school until receiving a full 24 hours of antibiotic therapy, has been fever free for 24 hours, and has not vomited for 24 hours. Most physicians will advise rest at home 1-2 days with a strep infection.

Antibiotics ordered for strep infections are to be taken for 10 days or until all medication is gone. Only when these directions are followed correctly is the strep germ completely eliminated from the body, no matter how well the child feels after the first few days of receiving medication.

Vomiting and Diarrhea (Intestinal Viral Infections): Stomachache, cramping, nausea and/or diarrhea, possible fever, headache, and body aches. Your child should remain at home until he/she is without vomiting, diarrhea or fever for a full 24 hours. If your child has had any of these symptoms during the night, he/she should not be sent to school the following day.

Rockwern Academy follows the policies of the Ohio Department of Health’s guidelines for specific communicable diseases. Please contact the school if your child has anything that is contagious. Our policy asks that you keep a contagious child at home to recover until symptoms have subsided and the student is feeling better.

Emergency Medical Authorization Form

We are required to have a yearly emergency form completed by the first day of school. All information should be accurate and current. If there are any changes during the school year, please come in and update the form. A complete form must be filled out for each individual child. In the event of a true emergency, 911 will be contacted, and the paramedics will assume authority upon arrival. The nurse or principal will accompany the child to the Emergency Department with his/her emergency medical form. Parents will be notified immediately.

Administration of Medication

Only those medications necessary to maintain a student in school that must be given during school hours or school activities may be administered to a student. School policy requires consent of the parent/legal guardian and a written statement (order) from an Ohio licensed M.D., dentist, or advanced practice R.N. with prescription authority before school personnel can give prescription. An Administration of Medication form must be completed in full. This form can be obtained in the main office. Medication must come to school in the original container with the affixed label from the pharmacist. The label must show the student’s name, name of medication, dosage directions and the licensed prescriber’s name and RX number. The Administration of Medication Form is only good for one school year.

The parent or legal guardian must hand deliver the medication to the office. Students are not allowed to carry medications. All medications will be locked in a secure cabinet. Middle School students can obtain permission to carry their own inhalers. This permission is granted on an individual basis after completing a contract. (This can be obtained from the Nurse).

Schedule II Medication Policy:

In addition to the above, Schedule II medications will be governed by these additional steps:

  1. All medication must be delivered from the parent to the Nurse or the Registrar. No one else may accept it.
  2. All medication will be counted immediately with the parent present and placed directly into a locked cabinet. The number will be recorded on the child’s medication log.
  3. A pill count will be conducted every day for all Schedule II medications. The number will be recorded on the student’s individual log sheet.
  4. The Nurse will contact the student’s parent when more medication is needed.
  5. The keys to the medication cabinet will be handled only by the Nurse or the Registrar during school hours.
  6. The keys will be locked in a cabinet in the accountant’s office. Only the Business Manager and the Accountant will have the keys to this cabinet.

The School Nurse is responsible for establishing the administration system and all communication with parents and physicians. The Nurse and designated employees appointed by the Head of School will administer the medication at school. On field trips, the staff member in charge will administer all medications. For trips involving an overnight stay, an Administration of Medication form must be submitted for all prescription medications.